New Containerships service will lead to 150 port jobs
The Port of Liverpool will welcome a new weekly service from intra-European expert, Containerships, part of the CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics, connecting Dunkirk, France, to the North West of England.
The service, launched on January 29, provides a gateway for goods, helping them move more quickly from Europe to the UK and avoid potential congestion issues at the English Channel.
It will also kick-start a recruitment drive by the Port of Liverpool for 150 jobs.
With this service, the CMA CGM Group said it demonstrates once again its ability to quickly adapt and build tailor-made solutions that meet its customers’ needs and expectations.
The new connection from mainland Europe runs from Friday to Monday, enabling suppliers to deliver their produce into the UK by the start of the working week.
Port owner, Peel Ports, believes the route will help minimise the impact of external pressures faced by supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic and changes which have come into effect following the recent Brexit deal agreement.
The route also provides a greener solution, helping to reduce road miles and emissions from long-haul overland transits.
David Huck, Peel Ports Group managing director, said: “The new service from Containerships is recognition of the need to ease congestion in southern ports closer to the EU border and ensure minimum lead times for their customers.
“The impact of Brexit and COVID-19 continue to highlight the vulnerability of supply chains to disruption and the need to improve supply chain resilience.”
He added: “We continue to work closely with the world’s leading shipping lines to encourage more services to the Port of Liverpool and help to alleviate some of the pinch points on supply chains that have previously relied on goods to enter and exit the UK via the south east.
“We are now moving forward with our plans for 150 new skilled jobs on Merseyside off the back of further business growth.”
He said: “Throughout 2021, future-proofing will be at the forefront of our business model, driving forward with planned investments in our people, processes and technology.
“With continued terminal investment and recruitment, as well as our position as the best-connected container terminal in the country, our aim is to increase the Port of Liverpool’s share of the container market by 15% to 20% by 2025.”
Rob Waterman, Containerships GmbH chief executive, said: “As a customer centric company, we are always looking for new ways to provide our customers with differentiated services, fast transit times and efficient access to their inland destinations. Our new DUNK route, connecting Liverpool and Bristol in the UK with Dunkirk in France, gives suppliers on the continent direct access to businesses in the North of the UK.
“The Port of Liverpool is ideally located, perfectly connected via road, rail, and sea to the rest of the UK, and allows us to bypass the congestion associated with road and rail crossings into the country.”
